Hey, sorry the updates have been taking longer lately, I have had some health problems. Nothing too serious, but it makes it hard to work on anything.
Hope you enjoy, as always.
* In previous chapters where I have used the word BREAK in bold, please see it as an indication of a change in whose POV we are seeing. I apologize for the confusion this may have caused.
Chapter 7
It had been three days! Where the hell was Alice? Buffy thought as she pounded on the practice dummy.
Watcher Lawrence was going to need a new practice dummy as Buffy had almost managed to destroy this one in her frustration over wondering why Alice hadn't come back.
Buffy had barely left the gym even to sleep in the three days since Alice had torn out of there like she was being chased by demons.
She had been almost sure that the pixie would come back once she had had time to figure out that Buffy wasn't really mad at her, but no such luck.
She had been surprised, shocked even, when she realized that Alice was attracted to her in a big way.
But that had been then, and once Buffy was over the initial shock she had looked at how she and Alice had acted around each other in a whole new light.
She had also realized that while she had never really thought about it, she liked Alice.
Yes, Alice was a vampire, but she was a very different sort of vampire.
Now that Buffy had had time to really look at things, at her own thoughts and feelings, she realized that if she had a "do over" for that last afternoon in the gym with Alice, she would not have pushed the other woman away.
It had taken Buffy all of five minutes after Alice took off, for her to realize that she didn't have the vampire's phone number, and a few more to begin cursing herself for that.
Buffy gave the practice dummy a few more whacks and then sat down on the mat to try and figure out how she could get the vampire to come back.
If it had been her she would have been too embarrassed to face the person again, but could it really be that simple?
She really needed to talk to Alice.
With that in mind she called watcher Lawrence to get the Cullen's phone number.
Twenty minutes later the slayer stared at her phone debating whether or not she could afford to destroy the offending piece of technology.
Watcher Lawrence only had Carlisle's number, and Carlisle had been unwilling to give her Alice's.
The most he would do was pass Alice the message that Buffy was trying to get in touch with her.
Getting up the slayer went back to pounding on the practice dummy to get out some of her frustration.
Alice's POV
Alice sat in her room staring at the sketches of Buffy that she had tacked up all over the walls and refusing to come out, even though Carlisle told her that Buffy had called him three times already looking for her.
She was absolutely mortified by her lack of control and her behavior around the slayer.
She had asked that Carlisle not give Buffy her phone number because she really didn't know how to face the woman again.
Alice craved her mate like nothing else in the world, and it was only getting worse by the day.
Not even the blood lust she had known as a new vampire could compare to how she wanted her mate.
It was threatening to drive her mad.
Alice knew that her family needed her help, but she couldn't seem to pull herself out of her obsession with the slayer.
All she did anymore was sit in her room and draw the woman in various poses and moods.
She couldn't even force herself to go hunting.
There were now more than a hundred pictures of Buffy on her bedroom walls.
Every now and again while she was staring at them Alice would drift off into a "dream" about being with the slayer.
She was beginning to understand just why Edward had gone off the deep end outside the theater that night.
Alice wished she had bought painting supplies when she had visited the art store in Port Angeles, then she could really have captured the vivid life of the woman she was helplessly in love with.
Helpless was the key word here she thought dismally, Buffy's reaction had shown her that the slayer didn't swing that way, and probably had never even thought of doing so.
Pen and pencil could only do so much, especially when the subject was so warm and bright in their life.
Maybe she should think of visiting the Voultori once this was over, but no, just as they had with Edward, they would not grant her wish for oblivion.
The Voultori coveted owning her for her "gifts" too much to give her death.
Her dark thoughts were interrupted once more by Carlisle speaking to her from the other side of her bedroom door.
"Alice, please, I've seen her practicing in that barn, she isn't ready. She needs more help. If the slayer goes up against your brother now she will die"
His sincere pleading came from two sources, his compassion for all humans, and his desire to see Edward stopped before he could cause any more damage.
Most of their kind saw Carlisle as the biggest bleeding heart to have ever become a vampire.
It wasn't that he was a bleeding heart, it was just that unlike most of their kind, Carlisle had hung onto his humanity when he became a vampire.
"I . . .can't" Alice called through the door, anguish plain in her voice.
"Why? What happened between you?"
Alice squeezed her eyes shut tight, her pain all but choking her.
"She's my mate" she whispered.
Carlisle didn't answer but a moment later he pulled her into his arms.
His quiet acceptance was the last straw, Alice laid her head against her father's shoulder and began to sob.
Carlisle's POV
Carlisle wasn't sure what to think, he hadn't known, as he was sure most hadn't, that Jasper was not Alice's mate.
And now to find that the slayer was her true mate?
He didn't know what to make of it.
As he held his daughter while she cried for her mate he was sure of one thing, he had to do something to get them together, because he couldn't stand to see Alice in so much pain, pain he now knew all too well.
It was true that he hadn't expected to learn that Alice's true mate was a woman, but he loved his daughter and wouldn't let this little detail change that.
Carlisle had lived far too long to let the currant trend towards homophobia sway his belief that everyone deserved love, no matter what form that love took.
While Alice cried herself out he made up his mind on what to do for her.
She needed her mate, and he would do all in his power to see that she had her.
He needed to go have a talk with the slayer.
Once Alice had calmed down and gone back to her drawing Carlisle slipped quietly out of the house.
In her currant state it was doubtful that Alice would even notice his absence.
On the other side of town Carlisle paused outside of the renovated barn.
The steady thumps made by fists hitting a heavy bag assured him that the slayer was in fact still inside.
Moving soundlessly he entered the gym and watched the slayer for a moment before clearing his throat politely to alert her to his presence.
In an instant she whirled and flung a dagger at his head that Carlisle barely managed to dodge in time.
As she saw who he was her hands flew to her cover her mouth. "Oh god, sorry, I wasn't expecting . . ."
Carlisle looked to the knife stuck fast in the door jamb and then back to the slayer.
"No, your reflexes do you credit. And I suspect they are quite necessary in your line of work"
He studied the slayer, as he had done the first time they had met, though this time he was seeing her in a slightly different light.
"I try to be a straight shooter, to be honest, as much as I can given circumstances. So I'm going to ask you a few rather blunt questions."
"Fair enough I guess, as long as I can ask some too, blunt questions that is" she answered.
"What do you think about Alice?"
. . .
Carlisle still wasn't sure if he had done the right thing, but one thing was certain, he would do it again in a heartbeat.
As he watched Buffy go up the stairs towards Alice's room he silently wished them both luck and then he headed out to find Edward.
Who knows, they just might need a little privacy he thought.
Buffy's POV
The house itself wasn't what Buffy would have expected, even knowing that these vampires weren't allergic to sunlight.
All of the glass walls and warmth here made her want to get to know them even more than she already did.
More than anything, Buffy realized, this was a house for family, a good family at that.
She took her time going up the stairs and down the hallway to the room Carlisle had told her was Alice's.
Stopping on the stairs she stared at the large piece of artwork on the wall for a long moment and then couldn't suppress a grin as she realized that it was made of graduation caps.
The humor in that piece of art would have been lost on most of the vamps she had known or met, and yet it seemed perfectly normal here.
Though there was an air of elegance here that her home didn't have, the house reminded her of home when she had been growing up.
The very normality of the home eased her nerves about what she was about to do.
Back in the gym Carlisle had explained to her the facts and the need that their type of vampire had for their mates.
It had been scary in a way, and humbling, to know that the independent, strong, willful little pixie of a vampire actually needed her.
Stopping outside of the door she thought about knocking, and then dismissed the idea, if Alice was paying any attention to her surroundings she would already know that Buffy was there.
Taking a deep breath she opened the door and stepped inside.
Alice was perched on the edge of a sleek leather couch, a sketch pad and pen in her hands.
As Buffy entered the pixie looked up and a look of shock flashed across her face.
"Buffy ?!, how did you . . .?"
The vampire's eyes darted around the room guiltily, making Buffy follow her gaze out of reflex.
Then she stopped, turning a slow circle and taking in the room.
Apart from the fact that there was no bed the room had seemed normal when she stepped inside, but now that she was actually looking she saw that there were dozens, dozens of dozens, of drawings tacked to the walls, all of them of her.
"Carlisle, he thought we needed to talk" Buffy replied slowly still taking in the drawings.
Alice looked down "This isn't quite what it looks like Buffy" she whispered.
"No? Cause' it looks like major crush material to me" Buffy said, trying to lighten the mood and hopefully ease Alice's fear, because she could see that the vampire was afraid now.
The vampire blinked, opening her mouth to speak and then closing it again.
"I know I didn't exactly react the way you must have been hoping for. I was . . . surprised, shocked, all of the above really."
Alice sank back down onto the couch, listening.
Somewhat reassured by Alice's calmness Buffy took a couple of steps nearer to the vampire as she continued to speak.
"I didn't really have time to think about what was happening, and then you were just gone, before I had a chance to say anything. Before I had a chance to think".
Alice stared at the floor "You yelled at me to get off you, I figured that was pretty much it. I mean it sounded pretty clear to me."
This time it was Buffy's turn to look down.
"That was a gut reaction, I didn't even know what to think then. I'm sorry. I was keyed up from the sparring" the slayer paused "I know that's really no excuse, but I . . . I like you Alice"
Alice's eyes widened "No, don't say it, please don't say it if you don't mean it!" she said quickly.
"I do mean it, that's why I'm here, why I was trying to get a hold of you on the phone. I, I'd like to give it a chance, . . . give US a chance"
Alice finally dropped the sketchbook and pen onto the couch and stood hugging herself.
"What did Carlisle tell you? Because you need to know that this isn't just a crush, not for me, not for my kind." she trailed off as if unwilling to reveal more just yet.
"He said that you believe I'm your soul mate" Buffy said quietly.
If she hadn't known better she would have thought that Alice held her breath then.
"I'm not sure I believe in soul mates Alice. I don't think I believe in happily ever after, I've seen too much of the . . evil in this world. But I'm willing to try, to see if there can be something more between us."
Alice nodded slowly "I don't know how good my control will be" she glanced around at the pictures on the walls.
"It's just that for us, it's very intense when we meet our mates".
Buffy didn't bother looking at the drawings again "I'm kinda getting that idea" she smiled, a small smile, but one that warmed her eyes till they sparkled.
Then she took a deep breath and did what she had wanted to since she realized that she was attracted to the pretty brunette vampire, she stepped forward till she was just in front of Alice and reached up to gently tuck a strand of the woman's hair behind her ear.
Alice sighed, closing her eyes and nuzzling her cheek into Buffy's hand.
The vampire's skin and hair were silken smooth under her fingertips and while the vampire's skin was cool to the touch, it wasn't unpleasantly so, more like bedsheets when you fist climb into bed, before your body has warmed them up.
It made Buffy wonder if her body would warm Alice's.
Alice's POV
Alice wanted to wrap herself around the blonde and not let go, maybe for a couple of centuries.
It just felt so good to have the woman touching her like this.
Slowly, so that Buffy had plenty of time to decide, Alice leaned in and slid her arms gently around her till she was holding her mate in her arms.
Surely this was heaven, it had to be the best feeling Alice had ever had, at least that she could remember.
Buffy shifted slightly and laid her head on Alice's shoulder hesitantly, as if she were testing, Alice didn't care, just as long as she didn't move away.
It was terribly confusing, she wanted to know what the woman tasted like, and yet she also felt she would rip apart anyone who harmed a hair on the slayer's head.
She turned her head so that she could see Buffy's face and found the woman studying her profile.
"How do you feel?" she asked her softly.
"I'm . . good" the blonde answered, her voice soft as if she was surprised by the answer.
"Not quite what you were expecting huh?" Alice replied with an easy smile.
"No, not really" she said.
As Buffy spoke Alice realized that the woman was staring at her mouth, just to be sure she licked her lips slowly and saw the slayer's gaze follow the movement.
Alice knew what she wanted, and she thought Buffy wanted the same, and then before she could move to kiss the woman warm lips brushed against hers, soft, teasing, and Alice was lost.
She didn't know who moaned first, only that the sound was coming from both of them.
She also knew that the slayer tasted so very warm, and sweet, like honey, if she could still remember the taste of honey correctly.
Alice guided them backward to the couch and turned so she could sit and pull the blonde onto her lap, the movement broke their kiss and Buffy blinked.
She started to ask again if the slayer was okay but Buffy's lips were back against her own quickly and the woman's hands trailed over Alice's sides just barely brushing the side of her breasts.
The vampire pulled her mate closer, pressing their bodies together and reveling in the feeling.
Her tongue danced in and out of the slayer's mouth, the woman shivered and Alice felt her nipples press against her chest through their clothes.
She wanted to see those perky nipples, wanted to taste them and let the cool of her mouth make them even tighter and more sensitive.
Alice brushed a thumb over one of the taught nipples and Buffy arched her body, rubbing against Alice more and driving the vampire just a little crazy with the hunger to see and touch and taste every inch of the woman's skin.
She had never felt like this before, never felt this frenzy of need.
Another few minutes and she knew she wouldn't be able to stop, not even if Buffy asked her to.
"Buffy, are you sure? I don't think I can stop if we go further" her voice was breathless from the weight of her need, even though technically she didn't need to breathe.
The slayer looked at her, eyes wide and dark with their own need, and she nodded.
"I don't want to stop Alice"
That simple sentence was all the assurance the vampire needed, she reached down and pulled the other woman's shirt off over her head in a single fluid move.
Then her hands were all over the slayer, reveling in the feel of her mate's body.
She might never get enough of just touching the woman skin to skin.
Alice scraped her fingernails down Buffy's back lightly and the blonde reacted by kissing her again, more urgently than before.
She felt warm, no hot!, for the first time she could remember she wasn't cold.
The pixie-like vampire began kissing down the other woman's jaw and neck till the slayer grabbed her and forced her to meet her eyes.
"Alice, no biting" Buffy warned her firmly.
"No, I wouldn't,I wouldn't hurt you like that" she replied sincerely.
Buffy nodded and then kissed her again, her tongue twirling gently, delicately, between Alice's fangs.
Alice moaned and then dipped her head to drop teasing kisses across the blonde's breasts.
Growing bolder, Alice flicked her tongue out along the edge of Buffy' bra, she wanted the bra gone, but wasn't sure how the woman would react if she tore it off of her.
Forcing herself to go slowly so as not to rip the delicate clothing Alice reached behind the other woman's back and undid the clasp of her bra and slid it free of her shoulders before pulling Buffy closer so that she could do what she wanted with her.
Then, gazing up to meet the blonde's gaze, she licked a slow circular path around her nipple, dragging out the anticipation for both of them before at last capturing the sensitive peak in her mouth.
Buffy moaned as Alice sucked gently at her breast, swirling her tongue around and over the nipple again and again.
Gods!, they were only getting started and Alice already felt drugged by the pleasure of just the little foreplay they had done.
Finally Buffy's hands went to the front of her shirt and she made a small sound of frustration as she found the tiny buttons took longer than expected.
Alice laughed, she couldn't help it, she had just been thinking of tearing off the woman's bra a second ago and now it sounded as if the slayer wanted to shred her blouse just to get it off of her.
Buffy paused "What's so funny?"
Alice shook her head "I'm trying not to be too impatient"
A light came on in the slayer's gaze "Impatient? Or wild?" she asked with a grin.
Alice licked her lips "It's not exactly civilized to rip someone's clothing off" she stated, trying to sound at least somewhat dignified.
Buffy's grin grew wider.
"And who says you have to be all civilized all the time?" she asked mischievously.
Alice started to shake her head automatically "You might not like me that way" she said quickly.
Then Buffy leaned in, rubbing her breasts against Alice's still covered ones, and whispered "try me".
The pixie searched her mate's face for a long minute, and then she let go, let go of her doubts, let go of her worries about what the slayer could and couldn't handle, just let go.
In half a second she had Buffy pinned beneath her on the couch and she was yanking her blouse off, not caring that half the buttons went flying as a result, she just wanted to rub against Buffy with nothing separating them.
This time when she lowered her mouth to the blonde's breast she let her teeth scrape, careful only that she didn't break the skin.
Buffy purred under Alice's hands and mouth, even as her hands slid down to cup and squeeze Alice's ass through her tailored jeans.
She could feel the wetness pooling between her thighs as she reached for the button of the blonde's jeans.
Alice stopped for a minute, trailing a finger down the center of Buffy's body and watching the woman's reaction as that finger put just a little pressure on her clit, the blonde writhed and arched into her caress.
If Alice had needed any further proof that Buffy would enjoy her attentions, that was it.
Finally satisfied the vampire popped open the button on her mate's jeans and pulled them off of her, quickly tossing them across the room and admiring the lace panties that matched the bra she had almost shredded.
And then the panties were gone and she stared down at one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen in her life.
Buffy sat up and reached for her jeans, it seemed her mate was just a little impatient for her too.
Alice grinned as she helped Buffy rid her of her pants.
Once both of them were completely naked to each other gaze Alice knelt on the edge of the couch between Buffy's knees.
Both of them simply taking a moment to enjoy and admire the view.
Then Alice scooted closer and eased one knee up to nudge gently against her mate's core.
The blonde let out a long sigh even as she skimmed a hand up the inside of Alice's thigh to brush against her lower lips, Alice gasped at the first touch.
Buffy was keeping her touch light, seemingly determined to tease her to the brink.
The vampire kissed her partner, tangling lips, tongue and teeth, trying to show her a glimpse of what she planned for their bodies next.
She thrust her tongue in to conquer the woman's mouth and claim her with a fierce possession that she had never thought to feel for anyone or anything.
Buffy's POV
Buffy thought she might just be dreaming as Alice rubbed her silken thigh against her clit.
She had had plenty of lovers before, but none had ever felt this good, especially not when they were only getting started.
The thought occurred to her that maybe she should have given it a chance with a woman long ago, but now she couldn't imagine anyone but Alice that she wanted to be with.
Reaching up she teased and pinched the vampire's nipples gently and was rewarded with a gasp of pleasure.
Smiling Buffy did it again before leaning forward to take Alice's nipple into her mouth.
She sucked hard at the cool hard little peak and Alice moaned above her, almost shaking.
Then Buffy did two things simultaneously and made Alice cry out her name, she bit the vampire's nipple hard and thrust one finger inside of her pussy.
Twirling her finger around she watched the vampire's face and noted just when her fingertip passed over the pixie's g-spot.
Alice's hips rocked as she tried to get Buffy's finger back where she wanted it, but the slayer pulled her hand back just a bit to keep from making Alice come too soon.
She wanted to taste the wetness that was coating her finger, feel it drip down her throat and coat her lips like gloss.
Slowly, keeping her eyes on Alice's, she brought her hand up and slipped her finger between her lips, sucking the moisture off and licking her lips for more.
The vampire's mouth opened and her eyes darkened in a look that was pure sex, and then they were both shifting and almost wrestling for a position that would give each what she wanted.
They ended up on the floor as the couch just wasn't big enough.
Buffy on her hands and knees above Alice with her face at the other woman's sex, licking in long strokes through the slick lips.
Alice, likewise, had her face buried against Buffy's pussy, lapping at her clit and thrusting into her by turns.
Buffy felt both drugged and frenzied by the pleasure she was giving, and getting.
Each time the pixie's tongue dipped into her pussy she let out a little moan that vibrated against the other woman's clit and made her writhe against Buffy's face some more.
As she circled her tongue inside Alice she could feel something huge building in her own body, threatening to overwhelm her.
Holding her body in check she concentrated on Alice, licking and sucking the little bundle of nerves in front of her face and adding a second finger to thrust inside the woman's pussy faster and faster.
Alice whimpered ad raised her hips up, begging for more, even as she thrust into Buffy with what felt like three fingers.
Buffy was beginning to lose control, her body shaking almost uncontrollably.
She was going to come, soon, but she wanted to be sure she gave Alice as much pleasure as she got so she sped up her fingers inside of the woman, working over the g-spot relentlessly.
Alice screamed and Buffy dimly heard a crash, and then Alice's fingers and tongue began working her clit and pussy at speeds a vibrator couldn't have matched.
She tensed, trying to hold on for just a bit longer, but the orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave, her eyes rolled back in her head and passed out.
. . . .
The first thing Buffy became aware of as she regained consciousness, was her heart beating frantically, as if trying to catch up from a dead stop.
Then slowly other sensations came to her, the vampire was stroking her hair and holding her, there was something soft, a blanket?, over her back, and she didn't want to move an inch.
God! If that was what it could be like with your soul mate . . .
She had never felt even a fraction of that with anyone before.
Buffy felt like she had just been burned from the inside out, and yet she felt amazing now, better than ever.
And that cold achy spot in her chest that had been there for as long as she could remember?, it was finally warm.
Opening her eyes at last she looked at Alice, the smile on the vampire's face was, wow, just beautiful, it was like seeing the sunrise after being sure you were going to die before it came up.
She couldn't think of a single thing to say, so she kissed the vampire, and hoped that she would understand what it meant.
